June Wu was stunned, elated, and yet deeply sorrowful. Tears streamed down her cheeks, unnoticed. Like a child, she cried with abandon, throwing herself into Tony Tang’s arms for the first time. The cold made her shiver, but her heart was warm, her tears scalding.
"Why didn’t you come out to see me?"
June Wu sobbed, years of longing and heartache pouring out. Tony Tang smiled gently, comforting her again and again. June Wu was just an ordinary person. Watching, my nose stung and tears welled up.
Waiting is the most painful torment. I knew exactly what June Wu was feeling at this moment. Maybe I’d be just like her when I could finally see Ethan Zhang and hold him in my arms again.
I wiped away my tears and saw June Wu’s body growing colder. Her heart burned, but couldn’t resist the creeping Yin Energy. Tony Tang pushed her away. She lowered her head, cheeks flushed, stealing a shy glance at him, at a loss.
Suddenly, Tony Tang grabbed June Wu’s hand. June Wu gasped in surprise, but under the moonlight, she soon noticed her hand turning bluish, and her body growing even colder.
"I’m a ghost, and you’re human. If you stay with a ghost too long, this is what happens. You’ll have bad luck in the days to come."
June Wu bit her lip and shook her head, lifting her face, throat choked with sobs, as if she wanted to say something. But Tony Tang floated upward, still smiling kindly.
"Find someone to marry soon. Forget about me. Don’t come here again. I’ll help you with your work problems."
"Wait..."
Before June Wu could finish her words, Tony Tang had already vanished. A wave of loneliness washed over her face, but after all these years, being able to see her beloved again, June Wu let out a long sigh, and the gloom in her heart seemed to lift.
A few days later, just as Tony Tang had said, June Wu started having bad luck. I could see dark clouds of energy swirling around her. If these clouds didn’t disperse, she’d keep having misfortune, since she was just an ordinary person.
But these small misfortunes didn’t bother June Wu much. She was in great spirits, worked harder and more earnestly, and soon passed the probation period at the newspaper.
It was a newspaper that covered many events around Lakeside County—very popular. Every day, June Wu ran around outside, recording fresh news and stories.
At that time, June Wu heard about the case of Butcher Sam. She persuaded her boss and finally got permission to return to Lakeside Town that day. She knew Sam Li—he was only a few years older than her, and they’d played together as children.
Luck seemed to shine on June Wu. After her interview, Butcher Sam’s story was published smoothly in the newspaper, bringing in many letters and boosting sales.
Afterward, June Wu began to collect these stories everywhere. She felt a faint sense—like all these things were Tony Tang’s doing. She still went to the bridge at least once a month, talking to herself there about all sorts of things.
Tony Tang really did help a lot of people. Whenever June Wu spoke happily, she would laugh out loud. She seemed to have learned how to sense ghosts nearby—on a sunny day, if she felt a sudden chill, she’d go to the bridge and talk to Tony Tang, who quietly listened nearby.
I knew well that as high-level Green Wraiths, they spent years in the ghostly realm, their Yin chill extremely intense, easily harming ordinary people. I’d heard that when they were in the Blood Fiend Hall, they rarely entered the city unless necessary, preferring the ghost domain between Yin and vengeance.
For half a year, June Wu kept reporting on Tony Tang’s deeds, interviewing everyone who’d experienced something strange and writing it all down. But the good times didn’t last—soon, an official order came down, strictly forbidding any further reports on such bizarre events.
June Wu grew a bit gloomy. After that, for some reason, problems started cropping up at the newspaper. Sales dropped day by day, and eventually, they couldn’t even pay wages. After struggling for more than three years, the newspaper finally shut down.
June Wu was out of work again, but this time she wasn’t lost. She kept living positively, and her family stopped criticizing her—after all, she was nearly forty, her once pure and beautiful face now marked by the passage of time.
June Wu didn’t mind at all. She soon found a stable job in a public institution, quickly proved herself, and bought a house.
Her older sister often came to persuade June Wu, since her sister’s son was nearly twenty and soon to be of marrying age. Her sister hoped June Wu would stop chasing fantasies.
But as the days went by, June Wu never changed. Every month she went alone to the bridge. I watched Tony Tang with some anger—Green Wraiths’ energy really could harm ordinary people, but was it right to let a woman go on like this? Tony Tang never left the bridge, but he never showed himself.
This kind of life was too unfair for a woman. I’d made up my mind—if I saw Tony Tang, I’d ask him what he was really thinking.
Living alone was easy and pleasant. After that, June Wu looked less troubled. She no longer grieved over every little thing. A few times, she asked Tony Tang whether dying would mean she could see him again.
But Tony Tang never answered. Now June Wu started helping her nephew take care of his young daughter, Spring Wu. This brought a little color to her otherwise dull days, giving her someone else to confide in.
Spring Wu was very young, and June Wu would often talk to her about Tony Tang, but Spring Wu just looked at her in confusion, not understanding.
Gradually, June Wu’s health began to decline—minor aches and pains appeared. I saw a lot of dark energy around her. It was the mark of death.
But then I remembered—June Wu lived until nearly seventy. She should have many years left; she was only in her forties now.
Yet as the days passed, the dark energy around June Wu grew thicker. The signs of death became more obvious. I felt afraid, and as I recalled these memories, my mood darkened.
On another snowy day, June Wu bundled up warmly and went to the bridge as usual, eager to tell Tony Tang everything on her mind.
The town now had bus service. Every time, people were puzzled when June Wu got off at the bridge—rumors spread that she had mental problems.
June Wu didn’t care. The car sped along the slick road. Suddenly, the driver slammed the brakes—the car tipped over. In that instant, I saw death energy explode from June Wu.
Screams and death energy filled the air as the car skidded and overturned. A green glow flashed, and the car drifted to a halt in midair. Everyone inside was already unconscious.
June Wu, barely alive, looked at Tony Tang. Her head was bleeding from a gash. Tony Tang gently lowered the car to the valley floor, then carried June Wu out and laid her on the ground.
"It’s nothing, just a minor injury."
June Wu just smiled, tightly holding Tony Tang’s cold hand, shaking her head as tears streamed down.
"Is the comb still flowing? Next time, I’ll comb your hair for you. When it’s your birthday, I’ll come for dinner."
June Wu nodded contentedly and fainted.
I watched the scene with a heavy heart. Just then, a person from the Yellow Springs arrived at the scene. He saw a Green Wraith who had saved everyone in the car from certain death. He didn’t dare approach, but used his soul-gathering gourd to report the incident to the Underworld.
I knew very well what Tony Tang’s actions would lead to. The ghost wardens would surely come, especially since it was a Green Wraith. The Underworld couldn’t ignore this—it was against the natural order.
The strange car accident spread throughout the county. The driver was terrified—he thought he was doomed, but after feeling a suffocating chill, he passed out.
But soon things calmed down. June Wu was discharged from the hospital, basically unharmed, and her health even improved. I knew that when a person’s lifespan ends, if they survive such an accident, they can live many more years.
Yet those who use outside forces to save people usually pay a price. June Wu’s birthday was less than a month away. She was cheerful every day, counting down to Tony Tang’s arrival, barely able to contain her excitement.
But the Underworld found out. On a cold night, thick Yin Energy shrouded the bridge. Hundreds of fierce ghosts and two or three Green Wraiths appeared, as if preparing for war. Soon, red beams of light followed.
It wasn’t ghost wardens who came, but Underworld soldiers. Leading them were The Twin Reapers. All of Tony Tang’s followers were stunned—no matter how strong they were, they weren’t a match for The Twin Reapers.
"Who is your boss, really?"
Mr. Black shouted. The low-level Green Wraith glared defiantly at him.
"We’ve been doing this for decades—who are you in the Underworld to boss us around?"
A battle was about to break out at the bridge. Underworld soldiers clashed with fierce ghosts, but soon, with The Twin Reapers joining the fight, all of Tony Tang’s followers were defeated.